Technology validation and transfer

As farming in Ethiopia is heavily dependent on animal traction, technologies that are based on this power source were envisaged to be appropriate for better management of Vertisols. Hence, the Joint Vertisol Project (JVP) began research on improved Vertisol technology that included 1) the use of an animal-drawn broadbed maker (BBM) to facilitate surface drainage and 2) the use of appropriate seeds, fertiliser and early planting. The aim of the technology verification and transfer were to verify the economic viability and acceptability of the BBM/Vertisol technology package and to popularies the technology so as to encourage large-scale adoption. A comparison of economic returns from crop grown with Vertisol technology package and traditional methods in selected Ethiopian highlands

Mineralogical and Geochemical Characterization of Clay and Lacustrine Deposits of Lake Ashenge Basin, Northern Ethiopia: Implication for Industrial Applications

The paper tries to characterize and evaluate clay, lacustrine and diatomaceous earth deposits of Lake Ashenge basin, near Koram, northern Ethiopia and comment on its industrial implications. The country rocks are dominantly basalts and basaltic agglomerates overlain by minor amounts of rhyolite and ignimbrite. Sedimentary deposits, clays and associated sediments include 1) intercalations of lacustrine diatomaceous earth, other lacustrine and clays with channel deposits (gravel, pebbly sand and silt); 2) intercalations of diatomaceous earth, peat and clays with channel deposits exposed; and 3) intercalations of clay with channel deposits. X-ray diffractometer analysis of clay samples indicates kaolinite as a dominant clay mineral among others. On the basis of the abundance of different minerals, the clays are subdivided into four groups, 1) Kaolinite (K), 2) Microcline-Kaolinite (MK), 3) Muscovite-Kaolinite (MuK), and 4) Muscovite-Microcline-Kaolinite (MuMK). Other minor mineral phases include quartz, vermiculite, low-high albite, calcite and calcite magnesia. Diatomaceous clays are almost free from kaolinite. Kaolinite, being the dominant clay mineral varies from 6% in light brown to 77% in light grey clays. Al2O3 and SiO2 dominate the clay geochemistry among other oxides and based on the Al2O3 content, the kaolinite variety is subdivided into high Al2O3 (16-21 wt %) and low Al2O3 (8-13 wt%) types. Higher Al2O3 and similar SiO2 and Fe2O3 values in clays compared to the source basaltic rocks are related to the topography, mineralogy and climatic conditions that exist in the area. Compared to the low grade kaolinite type (about 56*106 tones), diatomaceous earth variety (77.3*105 tones) is relatively of good quality with high SiO2 content.Keywords: Clay and lacustrine deposits, Kaolinite, Diatomite, Lake Ashenge, Tigray, Ethiopi